Ajit Pawar's associates acquired assets at throwaway prices in MSCB money laundering case: Court

When taking cognizance of a chargesheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case involving the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB), a special court in this city stated that assets of a sugar cooperative were purchased by close friends of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at throwaway prices.

Special Judge M G Deshpande in the order passed on Wednesday, after perusing the chargesheet, documents submitted along with it and witness statements, said it demonstrates a classic example of generation of proceeds of crime from criminal activity and it constitutes an offence under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Hence, there are cogent, sound and prima facie sufficient grounds to direct issuance of process (summons) against all the accused, the court said while directing all the accused to appear before it themselves or through their lawyer on July 19.

ED in April this year filed its chargesheet against three accused Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd, Jarandeshwar Sugar Mills Pvt Ltd and chartered accountant Yogesh Bagrecha. Ajit Pawar is not named as accused in the case. The special court issued summons to the two companies through their then and present directors along with Bagrecha. The court noted that Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar, was one of the directors of the accused company from 2004-2008. Sunetra Pawar was a former member of the Board of Directors of MSCB, it said.

A loan of Rs 826 crore given by Pune District Central Cooperative Bank and other banks for a mortgaged property of Jarandeshwar S S K Ltd goes to prima facie show that the assets of Jarandeshwar S S K were acquired by the close associates of Ajit Pawar at throwaway prices, the court said.